Role

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Performer

Country

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India

 

Samir Chatterjee is a renowned tabla player and composer in the world of classical Indian music. He was born on August 19, 1953, in Kolkata, India, and grew up in a family of musicians. His father, Pandit Nimapara Chatterjee, was a well-known vocalist, and his mother, Smt. Mira Chatterjee, was a sitar player. Samir was introduced to music at a very young age and started learning tabla from his father when he was just three years old. Samir's father was his first guru, and he received his initial training in the Farukhabad gharana of tabla playing. He later went on to study under other renowned tabla players such as Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh and Pandit Shyamal Bose. Samir's dedication and hard work paid off, and he soon became a proficient tabla player. In 1975, Samir moved to the United States to pursue his passion for music. He settled in New York City and started performing with various musicians and ensembles. He also began teaching tabla to students and became a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Pittsburgh. Over the years, Samir has performed with some of the biggest names in Indian classical music, including Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and Pandit Jasraj. He has also collaborated with Western musicians such as Steve Gorn, Glen Velez, and Pauline Oliveros. Samir's performances are known for their technical brilliance, rhythmic complexity, and emotional depth. One of the highlights of Samir's career was his performance at the 1997 Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. He performed with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in a concert that was widely acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. The concert was later released as a live album titled "From India: Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan Live in Concert." Samir has also received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to Indian classical music. In 2002, he was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the highest honor given to traditional artists in the United States. He has also received the Indo-American Arts Council's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Sangeet Samman Award from the Government of West Bengal. Apart from his performances and teaching, Samir is also a prolific composer. He has composed music for dance productions, films, and television shows. He has also released several albums of his own compositions, including "Sangam: A Confluence of Indian and African Rhythms" and "India Jazz Suites." Samir's contributions to Indian classical music have been immense, and he continues to inspire and educate musicians and audiences around the world. His dedication to his art and his commitment to preserving and promoting Indian classical music have made him a true ambassador of the genre.

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